Forbidden Fate
by Veebs
Summary: A human mage befriends a kind troll that rescued her from her kidnappers. What will become of them when her people and the troll's father find out about their developing relationship?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard and co. The characters and the concept of this story belong to me. **

"Text": Talking  
_"Text"_: Thinking  
_Any sentence without quotations:_Flashback or imaginative scenario.

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**--Forbidden Fate--**  
_-By: Veebs_-

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--**Chapter One--**

A light breeze blew through the multicolored trees. The smell of crisp, autumn air wafted through the village of Itana. It was a fairly small community that was settled along the outskirts of Stormwind, and it was surrounded by forests from all sides. For years it was secluded in its woody sanctuary, hidden from the cruel war that had spread itself throughout the land of Azeroth. The people were a peaceful folk; they wanted nothing to do with the war, and tried their best to avoid any confrontations with those that were affiliated with it.

"Goodnight father," Lorelei smiled, and kissed the top of his head. She had to swallow the lump in her throat, and take a small breath to stifle the sob that wanted to come out. Ever since her father returned from the war, everything started to turn from bad to worse. Her mother was diagnosed with a rare illness, and she passed away the day before he returned home. She remembered the day he came home. He was carried into their house on a stretcher. Cassandra, her best friend and also his comrade, was beside him and looking very worried. When she questioned what had happened, all she could remember was Cassandra saying that he was ambushed by the Horde. If given more time, she would have continued to think about that day, but the sound of her friend's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Come on. We need to let Cyrus rest."

"Alright, Cassandra. Um, would you mind telling me a story tonight? I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep on my own," Lorelei whispered. She watched the expression on her face turn into a smile. She grabbed her friend by the arm, and led her out of her father's room.

"Another story, Lorelei?"

Lorelei giggled. "But you're such a great storyteller, and it seems like forever since I last heard one from you. Remember when we used to exchange stories?"

Cassandra paused to look at her with a mischievous grin.

"I sure do! Remember when we exchanged scary stories, and you tried to frighten me with the tale of the swamp murloc? You ended up scaring yourself!"

Lorelei's face heated with an embarrassed blush, and two started to laugh with glee. Their laughter died down into stifled giggles when they looked at the closed door behind them.

"So, which story do you want me to tell you?"

"I would like to hear about the war. I never understood why they hate us," she whispered timidly.

"I suppose that is a good reason to hear the story. There will be no turning back though," she said with a small smile, as she tucked Lorelei in, and turned away to close the curtains. Cassandra opened the night dresser beside her bed, and took out a small box of matches. She struck it against the box a few times until she got a soft flame, and lit the candle. After she set the matches aside, she took a seat in the rocking chair, and folded her arms over her lap.

"The war that happened several years ago was between the humans and the trolls. Apparently, we had built our city Stormwind over sacred grounds. It has been rumored that underneath our city there's an ancient catacomb where troll chieftains were buried. The trolls got angry with us, and began to burn our villages, and taking young women to use them for ritual sacrifices to their god. Their god's name is unknown but the humans nicknamed it the "soul-eater" because it fed on living souls. Every day, the soul-eater would demand fresh souls to give it power and strength. No one knows if this god even exists, but it's been told that a few tribes still worship it. Eventually, the humans began to rise up against the trolls, and a war began. It lasted for several years. I was young when it began…," she trailed off, and looked a little distracted, almost as if she were lost in thought.

Lorelei looked at her with concern, and gently placed her hand on her shoulder.  
"You don't have to finish the story. I can tell that it's bothering you." Cassandra let out a sigh, and wiped an unwanted tear from her eye. "I'll be fine. You have to know these things Lorelei. You have to know that there is danger lurking outside of the village's walls." She decided not to object, and settled back into her bed, resting her head on the pillow.

"Now where was I…," she tilted her head in thought, "Oh, that's right. I was young when the war began. I witnessed the horrible deaths and gruesome punishments of my family and friends for many years. As I matured, I decided to take control of my destiny. I trained for ten years with your father who happened to be the most powerful swordsman in the country. He wasn't easy on me." Cassandra paused to laugh a little, remembering the difficult time she had holding her sword and walking in the heavy armor.

"The day that I would fight in the war finally came. I was so set on avenging my fallen friends that I didn't realize that I was way out of my league. They were monsters… hell bent on slaughtering and maiming any human that stood in their path."

Lorelei arched a brow in curiosity, and clutched to her blanket. "W-what did they look like, Cassandra?"

Cassandra closed her eyes, as the images flashed through her mind. "Trolls are tall and thin with bad posture. They also have these large tusks that protrude from both sides of their mouth that they use for impaling their victims. Their ears are long, like an elf's, and their skin can vary from shades of green to blue. Sometimes, they wear war-paint on their faces to let others know that they're getting ready for an intense battle." Lorelei pulled her blanket a little closer to her body, and shivered. "They sound scary."

She jumped a little when she felt a pat on her head. Cassandra smiled down at her, and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"I think that's enough for tonight. I don't want you to get nightmares," she said, and pulled away to blow out the candle on her nightstand. "Goodnight Lorelei."

Cassandra walked out of her room, and pulled the door shut. She watched as her room darkened from the lack of light, and she shrank down beneath the safety of her blankets. She closed her eyes, and sighed. She was almost asleep when a creak from the outside of her window startled her. She shakily moved the blankets from her head, and slowly got out of her bed, her eyes glancing around the room until she spotted her training staff resting against the wall. She picked it up, and walked out of her room, sneaking past the two bedrooms that were adjacent to hers, and hurried down the stairs.

* * *

Lorelei stood outside of her front door, and looked out into the night sky. Although it was a beautiful night, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something terrible lurking just outside the village's steel-iron gates.

"_Calm yourself. If anyone should try to come in here the guards will stop them,_" she reassured herself in her thoughts.

She brushed back a few strands of her auburn locks, and turned her eyes towards the gate. Even if someone should try and invade their village they'd have to get past the guards, and that was nearly impossible. She felt herself relax, and she leaned a little against the door. Lorelei had almost fallen asleep until she heard an uproar coming from the front gates. She felt instinct take over, as she grabbed her staff and ran in front of the gates. Something sharp hit her in the neck, but she assumed that it was just a mosquito bite, and began to focus on the current situation. Lorelei was ready to cast a spell, her face full of determination, but her bravery immediately turned to cowardice at the terrifying sight before her.

This was the first time she had seen them in person. She's only heard about them from Cassandra – and that was in a war scenario. She suddenly began to feel doubts in her abilities as a mage flood through her, and weigh her down. It made her shrink back, and she clutched her staff tightly against her. Lorelei was the weakest mage in the village, having only the basic abilities of fireball and frostbolt, and she knew that she wouldn't last five seconds against those gargantuan beasts.

They had teal skin, and long, muscular arms and legs. Their red eyes were narrowed with defiance and anger, and their tusks were large, thick, and covered in blood. She swallowed hard, and shakily threw a blaze of fire in the distance, hoping to drive them away from the helpless men. They turned their heads towards the fire streaking the sky, and quickly fled back into the bushes. She wasn't sure if the fire scared them away, or if they were just curious about it. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw one of the guards pinned in between the gate's railings. Concerned, she went over to help him. She gently grabbed his arm, and tried to wriggle him free from his prison.

"L...Lorelei...," the guard breathed out, "You have to get out of here. It's not safe..."

"I'm not leaving you here like this. You need help or you'll die."

He managed to place his hand over hers, and smiled weakly. She could see that he had a large hole in his abdomen, and a few smaller puncture marks around his chest and neck.  
"No...go...you have to...before...," the rest of his words were slurred as his hand slipped away from hers.

"I'm sorry," she murmured low, as she looked out into the forest, her eyelids slowly beginning to droop. She felt herself getting weaker by the moment, and she was suddenly extremely tired. With a low moan, she collapsed to the ground.

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--To be Continued...-


	2. Chapter 2

**--Chapter Two--**

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Lorelei awoke to the sounds of incoherent grunting. Her vision was still blurry; all she could see were flashing colors of green in front of her. She tried to move her arms but had found them immobile. Her breath shortened her panic rising as she opened her mouth to scream. Her yell was cut short by a large hand clasping tightly over her face.

"Shaddup," a voice harshly commanded. Her eyes widened when she noticed a strange creature glaring directly into her eyes. When she noticed him glaring directly into her eyes, she silently looked over his features. With a wave a shock washing over her, she lowered her head as she realized that he was one of the feral trolls that Cassandra had told her about. "Ya scream like dat one more time and I'll be snappin' ya neck ta shut ya up," he growled out low, turning away to face his guards.  
"Da ceremony begins at sunrise. Until 'den… you two stay here an' make sure nothin' happens to 'de human."

"Chief Zen'rah," one of the guards spoke, while looking at Lorelei, "Do ya' think 'dis girl will be enough for him?"  
The second guard grabbed her by the arm, and easily curled his fingers around her bicep. "I haveta agree… she be a bit too scrawneh for him! 'Dis girl ain't enough ta' feed a murloc!"

Lorelei bit her bottom lip, and looked at the three with fear trembling in her eyes. She couldn't understand a word they were saying, and that frightened her more than anything.

Zen'rah brought his fingers to his lips, and whistled loudly. The sound bounced off of the stone walls, and drifted into the distance which caught the attention of a short, but hulking creature that stood upright on hind legs. "Velocipes. Come!"

The creature started to jog, and then it broke out into a quick run, leaping high across jagged rocks, and broken statues. Although it was a dangerous monster, she couldn't help but to admire its beauty. It had orange skin with small flickers of dark blue and teal scales along its neck and tail. It was adorned in ceremonial wear; its head dressed in black and white feathers, and its armor decorated with fangs and bones. Zen'rah patted the raptor on the side of its massive jaw, and pulled himself up on the saddle.

"Ah'll be back before sunrise. Have some 'tings ta' do," he said, and he pulled on the reins. His raptor reared its head, turning toward the path. He looked at Lorelei, looking somewhat regretful, before he disappeared out of sight, leaving only a swirling cloud of dust behind.

"Ya' know where Terokkar Forest is… get 'dere and hurry!" Zen'rah crouched low against Velocipes, and he began to break out into a quick run. The forest became a blur as the two raced through the forest at massive speed. A few mangy wolves ran alongside them, as they nipped and bit at the raptor's ankles. He felt his raptor's patience growing thin, and it halted to an abrupt stop. "Jus' ignore 'dem Velocipes," Zen'rah commanded, "We haveta go!"

Velocipes turned to the side, and smacked its thick tail against the ground, causing a slight tremor to erupt. The wolves lost their balance, and fell hard against the ground. The troll pulled on its reins, and the raptor began to speed up again. He looked back to make sure the wolves weren't following, and sighed in relief as he watched them become nothing more than a dot in the distance. "_Jus' hold on…ah'll be 'dere Fae."_

_

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_Night was beginning to creep into view, and a shadow of darkness blanketed itself over the lands of Azeroth. Stars blinked into view, and the moon emitted its silvery brightness to guide travelers in the dead of night. In a sentinel troll village known as Tuskvane, a lone troll was sitting on the highest cliff, as he anticipated the arrival of the Gurubashi chieftain.

"Looks like he ain't gonna be here in time," he murmured with a twisted smile, as he jumped from the rocky cliffs to the huts below. He pushed past the villagers, ignoring the idle threats and snorts from the males, and walked into the chief's hut. The troll glanced off to the side, briefly admiring his work of the blood-splattered furs and hides that littered the place. Slumped against one of the poles was the headless body of the elder chieftain, and beside him was a frightened human female. Her arms were tied around the pole with rope made from Koda hide, and her chestnut hair was mangled and reeked with the stench of blood. Her face paled at the sight of the lumbering figure before her. "Ya' got out of 'yer position wo'man."

He walked over to her, grabbing her legs and forced into an Indian-style position. His eyes shifted to the body near the girl, and he smiled.

"Here. 'Dis traitor will keep 'ya company 'til yah hero arrives… if he be brave enough to show," he roared with laughter, and grabbed the corpse. He tossed it on top of her, and she let out a shriek as the heavy body pinned her against the ground. Fighting back tears, she struggled to sit back up, and looked up at the troll sneering down at her. Fear turned to anger, and she spat in his face.

"Zen'rah will show up! He will!"

He narrowed his eyes, wiping his cheek clean, and kicked her in the abdomen. She cried out, falling back against the pole, and her head slouched against her shoulder.  
"Like hell he will."

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--To be Continued...--


	3. Chapter 3

**--Chapter Three--**

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Zen'rah finally arrived at the gates of Tuskvane. He hopped off of Velocipes, gently patting it on the head. "Ya did good," he said to the creature, and turned his head to the guards in front of the splintered gate. One was a stout orc guard, clad in heavy armor and the other was a tall troll guard, wearing leather armor. The orc cleared his throat and began to speak in a rather bored tone, almost as if he's asked this question hundreds of times before.

"State your business."

Zen'rah straightened up, presenting himself to the guards in an unthreatening manner, and looked at the orc straight in the eyes. "Ah'm here for my pet. She was taken from my village, and Velocipes tracked her scent to Tuskvane."

The troll tilted her head with a slightly confused look, and rubbed under her chin quizzically. "But only hu'man here. No animal."

"Ah know. The hu'man is my pet."

The orc nodded, and looked at his partner who looked a little lost. "Sometimes we keep spies from the opposite faction as slaves, Eli'ana. Some of us believe that it's a greater punishment than death. What better way to humiliate a spy than have them do degrading chores around the village that no one else wants to do?" He laughed a little, and gave a rather hard nudge in Zen'rah's side. The troll just gave a grunt and flashed the guard a fake smile.

"Well if that's the case then you can come in," the orc welcomed Zen'rah, and stepped back from the entrance. Eli'ana followed his command, lowering her head in the process. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and arched a brow. Sensing the orc's bewilderment, she spoke to him in a low tone.  
"'Dat troll be chieftain of powerful tribe. It distinguished by tribal necklace of 'dere village. Need to show respect," she grabbed him by his ponytail, and yanked him into a bowing position.

"Watch Velocipes for meh! I ain't gonna take long," Zen'rah called out to the guards, as he headed into the village. Tuskvane was nothing more than a bunch of tents huddled close together except for the chieftain's hut which was located on a grassy hill far off from everything else. The other trolls immediately recognized the newcomer, and moved a little away from his walking path. It made a few questions run through Zen'rah's mind but he just shrugged it off, and continued to venture up the steep hill. The wind blew, carrying a familiar scent to him. Pausing in his tracks, he sniffed at the air a little, and his eyes went wide. With fear pulsing through his veins, he began to run with long strides the rest of the way, and stopped in front of a horrific sight.

* * *

His eyes fell on the frail, slender form of a human girl. Her body was distorted like a marionette, and her eyes were wide with immortal fear. Her body was sprawled out against the headless corpse of the elder troll. Her pale skin was covered with large gashes, and red fingerprints were plastered across her neck and arms. No part of his mind could fathom that she was once a living being. Tears started to cloud his vision. The blurred sight of the dead couple became chiseled into his mind, and he began to shake with silent sobs. Zen'rah clenched his fists so tightly that his claws made puncture wounds in his palms. Blood trickled down his wrists like a crimson waterfall, and he slowly brought his hands to his head. He mentally kept saying that it was just a terrible nightmare and he'd wake up with her resting beside him. He took a deep breath, and opened his dark eyes only to see that dreadful sight again. Something stirred within his insides. A force was pulling at his innards, and threatening him to tear apart from the inside, but something far darker was looming against it. Rage and anger was flooding like a wall of fire through his veins and muscles.

"No…," he whispered low, and collapsed to his knees, his head hung low. His fingers wrapped tightly around his fuchsia braids, and he threw his head back. A mournful howl bellowed through the village and it was immediately followed by an enraged roar that startled a few of the trolls, and even the guards who were still keeping watch on the raptor.

"What was that? Some sort of animal," the orc guard questioned, as he looked at his female counterpart.

"It battle cry. Fight gonna begin soon," she paused to look at him and made a motion with her hands, pointing to him and then to herself. "Have to get everyone out of village."  
He nodded, and followed her into the village. Some of them were already starting to leave the village gates. Mothers were carrying children on their hips, and the men were heaving their weapons across their backs. They also had large tree branches resting on their broad shoulders, each with a thick hide attached to the end full of necessary items for their trip.

"Krag," Eli'ana spoke, "Careful. 'Dere bad smell comin' from 'dat direction." She stopped to point to the east. "Smell of death and blood. Need to be on lookout."  
He nodded, and kept his hand near the hilt of his sword, preparing to spring into action at the merest hint of a threat. An obscure movement caught his eye, and he gripped hold of his sword.

"Look out!"

Krag heard Eli'ana's warning, but he didn't react quickly enough. Just as he was starting to bring his weapon up to defend himself, he felt a sharp stinging sensation in his back. It cut into him deeper and deeper until he could see the sharp edged axe coming out of his chest. A sickening noise boomed in his ears as the axe was pulled out of his body, and he fell to the ground with soulless eyes.

"No! Krag!" Eli'ana swiveled around to her fallen comrade and came face-to-face with his killer. The female growled, threatening him with her fangs but the other troll just ignored it. He grabbed her by the shoulder, lifting her off of the ground, and threw her aside. She groaned from the impact, and could only watch as he slowly walked up the hill.

* * *

Zen'rah's patience was growing thin. Every so often he'd show his irritation in a primal manner by pounding his fists into the ground, and snorting at the sky. He began pacing back and forth in a crouched stance, grunting incoherently, and curling his lips into a snarl. The troll could barely contain his rage any longer, and he bellowed with another challenging roar. He was just about to beckon his challenger again when his sensitive ears picked up the faint sound of soft grass beneath bare feet. His teeth bared at the familiar scent lingering toward him, and his rage-filled eyes met with the emotionless gold hues of his rival. The other troll simply smirked, and lowered himself into a crouched stance. Zen'rah began to move in a slow circle around his prey, eyes still glazed over with fury. His instinct to kill slowly rose with each rhythmic pulse beat. The troll wasn't doing anything but flashing him a sick smile; his fangs stained with her blood.

"'Dat girl's head make decent trophy for Ron'ja!"

Zen'rah snarled at him, the veins in his arms pulsating as he tensed. "Ya gonna take 'dat back wit' ya life! Bastard!"

He rushed forward, pulling his dagger out of his sheathe and grabbing his large axe from the holster on his back. Zen'rah leapt high into the air, bringing his axe down straight for Ron'ja. The other troll just smirked, and caught the blade with a single hand. His eyes widened, and he was pushed back with a powerful force that emanated from Ron'ja's arm. He slammed hard against a tree, wincing as it splintered into many pieces, the bark and wood piercing through his skin like needles. He tore himself from the tree, blood spewing out of the large gashes from his back and staining the remains of the tree. Zen'rah leapt into the air, and ricocheted off of the nearest hut, his axe blade heading straight for Ron'ja's head.  
Ron'ja slowly turned, a wicked smile appearing on his face as he whipped his axe around and slammed the blade against Zen'rah's abdomen. The blade cut through his leather armor, slicing into his gut. He landed on one knee, his hand clutching to his open wound and he growled in pain. The troll walked toward him, lifting his hammer high above his head.

"Ah'm gonna like seein' your brains splatta' all over…," he said with a twisted grin. The hammer came down at a startling rate, but it suddenly stopped just mere inches from Zen'rah's head. The injured troll gathered every ounce of his strength and stopped the hammer with his hand. Growling low, he slowly stood up, and jabbed Ron'ja in the side with his dagger. The blade sliced clean through him, and he tore away from it with a low growl. Zen'rah smirked at him, and slid back into a fighting stance, his body crouched and his arms were raised slightly above his hand, each blade pointed outwards toward his enemy.

"Ya ain't gettin' rid of meh that easily!"

He rushed forward again. The grass beneath his feet was slick with blood, and he jumped into the air, bringing his axe down diagonally towards Ron'ja, attempting to cut his arm. The other troll dodged the blade, and he landed half-way into the forest. He brought his hand up; a strong tremor begins to shake the ground, causing Zen'rah to stumble a bit. A screaming bolt of lightning comes straight for him. His eyes widen; he wasn't quick enough to dodge as it slams hard against his chest, causing him to crash through three huts. He skids into the ground on his side, wincing as he shakily stands back up. His armor had been shattered from the sudden attack, the shards of metal were jutting out of his chest and shoulders. His light skin was tainted with his blood, and it traveled down his aching body like rain. Zen'rah panted heavily, his eyes beginning to lose its focus, but he kept steady on his feet.

"Ain't down yet? Jus' give up," Ron'ja hollered out to him. "Ya can't beat meh! Ya too weak!"

Zen'rah gritted his teeth in pain and anger. He knew that he was easily outmatched, but he had to keep going. He was determined that he was going to bring the sick bastard to his knees, even if it cost him his own life. He yelled, causing the birds to scatter in fear, and charged like an angry bull, both of his weapons out and ready to strike. Ron'ja got back into a stance, jumping back as Zen'rah threw himself forward. He landed like a crouched cat, his hands pressed firmly against the ground, and on the balls of his toes. He shot a glare at Ron'ja, baring his teeth. He bolted towards him again, bringing his axe and swiping the air furiously. Ron'ja crossed his arms, and began dodging with little to no difficulty, taunting him as he tried with his might to hit him.

The sound of water moving began to come into hearing range, and the two found themselves in the middle of a cliff. Zen'rah had given one last swipe before Ron'ja stopped just mere inches from the edge. Zen'rah laughed with a smirk.

"Ya can't jump back anymo'…ah gotcha right where ah wantcha!"  
Ron'ja narrowed his eyes, a small frown appearing on his face. He brought his hammer out, slamming it against the ground and he snarled.

"Die!" He rushed with his arm extended outward, his hammer tightly in his fist, and he slammed his arm into Zen'rah's throat, pushing him back against the ground. He rammed his arm harder against him, choking the other troll. Zen'rah jolted his feet against Ron'ja's chest, sending him flying off of him and hitting the ground hard. He got up, staggering a little, and limped over to Ron'ja, dragging his axe along the ground.

"Ya gonna be 'da one ta' die…"

He slowly brought his axe up, just as Ron'ja was getting up. Zen'rah brought his axe down quickly, slicing Ron'ja across the chest. His eyes widened, and he staggered back, holding onto his chest. His eyes dithered, and he fell back into the rapids below. Zen'rah looked down, tired, but proud of his achievement, and watched as a blue hand shot up before getting caught beneath the fast-moving water.

"…Ah did it…Fae…," he whispered, and he collapsed against the ground, tired and exhausted. Rain began to fall from the sky, pelting his skin and hair with tiny droplets. He took a deep breath, and relaxed for what would be the first time in his life. He had no more anger, no more sorrows… only satisfaction and peace. He could have sworn that he heard a shouting and feet walking toward him, but Zen'rah was too tired to care. He felt himself being lifted carefully, and being carried off out of the forest. Soft whispers floated around him but it began to waver and disintegrate into jumbled conversation. He couldn't make out what they were saying, and he felt a twinge of fear strike his stomach. He grunted, kicking his feet and shouting out from his foolish act as the pain shot through his entire body. He felt something jab into his neck, and he growled.

"That oughta keep him quiet until we get him back to Itana. This troll's gonna pay for what he did to our people!"  
Zen'rah began to feel numb, and whatever was given to him made him very sleepy. With one last growl, he went limp and fell into a heavy slumber.

* * *

--To be Continued...--


End file.
